by Fanny Finch
“I do not wish for you to feel as though you are alone. There might be unexpected bumps in the road. And you are a sister to me. So never hesitate to call me back if you need. Do I have your word on that?”
Maria nodded, smiling still. “Yes, I promise. But I expect that everything will be all right. And this will be a much-needed break for you. You have been working yourself into knots over me and now over the wedding.”
Georgiana didn’t think of it that way. She was family, and the only close friend that Maria had. It was natural that she should help with such things.
Normally the mothers of the bride and groom would help to handle such matters. But with both Maria’s mother and Edward’s long gone, Georgiana had been happy to step up and lend her expertise.
But she was rather used to being the one who helped everybody else out. Perhaps Maria was right and it was time to do something for herself for a change.
“I shall send a letter to Julia telling her that I shall be heading out at once,” Georgiana said, finally allowing a smile to turn up the corners of her mouth.
She departed and officially sent the letter. Anticipation began to fill her lungs like sweet country air.
She was going to get to go to Bath. And she was going to get to see her dearest friend. This was perhaps the most excited that she had been in years.
Yes, a vacation would be just what she needed. And then she could gather information and make plans for moving to Bath. She could present them all to Edward when he got back from his honeymoon.
It wasn’t exactly the sort of life that women dreamed of when they were young. Maria had gotten that sort of life: marrying the love of her life who happened to also be a rich duke.
But it was a life that would allow her some measure of dignity. And that was all that she could ask for at this rate.
Georgiana went upstairs, already going through the list of clothes and supplies in her mind.
She had some packing to do.
Chapter 2
Robert Trentworth read over Miss Weston’s letter again.
He had been dear friends with Miss Weston, once upon a time. That had been the last time that he was back in England, many years ago now.
But of course, he had been so close with her because he had been in love with her best friend, Miss Reginald.
Georgiana.
He had only just started to call her by her first name, at least in his mind, when it had all been taken away from him.
Robert did not like to think of himself as a man who was unreasonable. Being unreasonable didn’t help you last long in His Majesty’s Royal Navy.
But he was a man of principle. A man who stuck to his convictions and did not allow himself to be easily swayed by others. A man who stayed strong in his decisions and in what he believed.
And unfortunately, the woman he had fallen in love with was not the same way.
It still frustrated him, all of these years later. He knew that he should let it go. Men and women had their hearts broken all the time. What made his so special?
And yet, he could not quite forget Georgiana Reginald.
She would probably be married to someone else by now. Someone of whom her father had approved.
The duke was a hard man. A man with his own principles, principles that did not align with Trentworth’s own. In fact, he was certain the duke’s principles did not align with most people’s.
Of course most people wanted their daughter to wed a man of wealth. But a man of honor who was moving up in the world, who came from a good family, was that not also good enough for most?
The Duke of Foreshire had disagreed. Nothing short of a titled man of wealth would do for his daughter. Just as nothing short of the daughter of a titled, rich man would do for his son.
It made Trentworth all the more furious when he thought of how he was now a rich man. He had no title, it was true. But he had made his way up. He was now a man with ten thousand pounds to his name and more to come.
And yet, that wouldn’t have been good enough for the Duke of Foreshire.
Robert weighed the possibility of Miss Reginald, or whatever her new last name was, being there.
Most likely not, he should think. The London season was on the tail end and he was sure that as a fashionable lady she would still be a part of it. There was no reason for her to go to Bath.
Besides, Miss Weston had hinted in her letter that all the ladies in her party would be unmarried.
Robert knew what she was about, of course. Miss Weston was a lively girl who delighted in matchmaking. And while normally he would object, he couldn’t deny that she had a fair point.
It was high time that he found himself a wife. His career in the navy was finishing up. He could soon become a proper gentleman among the rest of upper society. And he would need someone to share his life with.
Of course, he also wanted someone to share his life with. He did not intend to die alone. And he wanted children, as well, if possible.
So while he would normally remind Miss Weston that he did not appreciate other people meddling in his life, he was grateful for it this one time. Perhaps he could find his future wife among these ladies.
Miss Weston herself, of course, was not an option. Although they had the highest regard for one another, there was not a spark of romance between them.
She honestly reminded him of his sister, who unfortunately had died as a child. Indeed, he was the only one of his siblings to survive to adulthood. A tragedy for his poor parents. He was only glad that he had been able to make them proud before they passed on.
But Miss Weston aside, surely there had to be another lady or two among the party that he could consider as a bride.
He could only hope that his own manners had not become too dreadful in his time away. Being in the navy and at war did not necessarily keep one up to date on proper dining room etiquette.
It was going to be interesting to finally be back in England again. He loved the sea and always would but he did so long for the rolling green hills of his homeland. To be on solid land for so long a time would be a nice change.
He supposed that he ought to respond and let Miss Weston know that he would be attending.
Seeing her again would be interesting. He hadn’t seen Miss Weston since Miss Reginald had broken off their engagement. He was surprised that she remembered him.
Although he supposed that he should not be. Miss Weston remembered everybody and was a good-natured person, and they had got on well.
This would be good for him, he told himself. He would finally be able to get over Miss Reginald and find someone with whom he could spend the rest of his life.
He composed a polite reply to Miss Weston to inform her that he would be happy to re-open his acquaintance with her and would be glad to join her party in Bath.
Then he began to think about what he would need. He would actually have to worry about what he was wearing to dinner for once, no longer able to simply throw on one of his uniforms.
This was going to be interesting, he told himself. If nothing else, it would be interesting.
Chapter 3
Georgiana watched through the window of the carriage as it rolled along.
Her stomach was knotted in anticipation. She did not like to think of herself as someone who was easily excitable. But this was the first time that she would be meeting so many new people in so long of a time.
She was even nervous about seeing Julia again. What if she had become boring? What if she and Julia were no longer as close as they had been?
What if these new people did not like her? What if she was only setting herself up for more ridicule? She was certain that she would be one of the oldest members of the party.
Was she only setting herself up to be hurt? Would she spend the whole time feeling like an outsider, as usual? Only it would be worse than usual, because it wouldn’t be random women that she was feeling rejected by. It would be her dearest friend.
Georgiana forc
ed herself to breathe slowly and carefully. She had never been the sort of person to give into panic. She would not do so now. Especially when she didn’t even know if there was a reason to be upset.
She needed to give Julia more credit. Julia had always been a lovely and loving person. It was only Georgiana’s own insecurities making her think this way. Why on earth would Julia give up a decade of friendship in such a manner?
No, it would all be fine. She just had to remember to keep her head firm on her shoulders.
The journey into Bath was pleasant. It was nice to travel alone, but also lonely. She was so used to travelling everywhere with her brother, and now with her brother and Maria.
But she must get used to it now that spinsterhood would soon be upon her. She was six and twenty. Some people would be generous and say that she still had a chance. But Georgiana knew the truth.
Now, she made certain to look out the window as the carriage rolled through the streets.
There were plenty of lovely-looking places that she could see herself living in. She couldn’t get something too expensive, of course. She would never ask such a thing of her brother.
But something modest, not too near the town center…
The carriage rolled to a stop in front of a lovely townhouse.
Georgiana had hardly gotten out of the carriage before the front door was flying open and Julia was hurrying out of it.
“My darling!” she cried, seizing Georgiana’s hands and spinning her about.
Georgiana was not one for making a spectacle, but she could not begrudge Julia a little enthusiasm after so long apart.
Julia hugged her quickly and then directed the servants to bring in Georgiana’s things. “Oh, I have so much to discuss with you! I want to hear all about how your brother came to meet this young lady of his!”
Georgiana smiled. “Well, it is quite a story.”
“I was beginning to fear that your brother should never choose anyone. He is quite picky, is he not?”
“That is certainly one way to put it.”
“But how did you come to meet this creature? She sounds delightful from what you have told me of her in your letters.”
“She knows nothing of London society and was raised quite wildly on a plantation in the Caribbean,” Georgiana said. “Which of course, would make her perfect for him.”
Julia laughed. “Only your brother. That is quite like him. We ought to have tried such a thing sooner.”
Georgiana nodded. She was just glad that her brother was now happy. She had seen how bitter and frustrated Edward was becoming with society, especially with the women.
She had not had the slightest idea how to help him. She had feared that he would become like their father. Father had been bitter and hard-hearted. Edward did not deserve to become like that.
Maria did not understand, and perhaps never would fully understand, what a great service she had done for Edward. Georgiana would be forever grateful to her.
But of course, Maria would not see it as a service. She was in love with Edward. Making him happy was simply a part of what made her happy. And vice versa. Making Maria happy was Edward’s greatest joy.
Georgiana sometimes got a little pang of sadness when she watched them. It was not envy. Envy suggested that she wanted to take away from them what they had. And she could never want that. She could never begrudge either Edward or Maria anything.
But she could not help but wonder why she could not also have that happiness. Why only some people were allowed to have that wonderful, uplifting kind of love and others were not.
“They are wonderfully suited for one another,” Georgiana said. “You shall see it when you attend the wedding. I have never seen two people who were more complementary in their manner.”
“I have,” Julia said quietly.
Georgiana knew to what she was referring but said nothing. She was not going to rise to the bait.
“You and Captain Trentworth were remarkably well suited,” Julia went on. Her voice was still quiet, and more serious than usual. “With all due respect to your brother, I have never seen two people who fell more amicably and smoothly into the deepest of affections.”
“That was many years ago,” Georgiana replied. “We were but children then. Or at least you and I were. And the past always tends to be viewed through rose-colored glasses.”
Julia made a noncommittal humming noise.
Georgiana had known Julia for a decade, however. No, for longer than that. Since they were but young girls, children. She knew every tone of voice and every facial expression that Julia had.
“I’m getting the most suspicious feeling,” she said, trying to keep her tone lighthearted.
Indeed, she felt a creeping cold suspicion curling up her spine and settling over her shoulders.
“That is odd,” Julia replied. “I can assure you that you have no reason to fret. You know how I have always supported your acquaintance with Captain Trentworth, that is all.”
It was true. Julia had advocated hard for Georgiana to go against her father and marry Captain Trentworth.
But Julia had two loving parents. They could be trying at times and there were arguments between the three of them once in a while. But Mr. and Mrs. Weston would never disown Julia. They would never kick her out.
Georgiana’s father certainly would have.
She would have had to go to Captain Trentworth with nothing. No inheritance, no blessing. And if her father had snubbed her, the rest of society would have followed.
Of course, Father was now dead. And rather unexpectedly, from a riding accident. But how was she to know that at the time?
Father had been in the best of health. He was expected to live another decade. How could she have known that there would have only been a few years of being an outcast? As far as she had been aware, it would have been at least a decade.
But there was no use in crying over spilled milk and thinking about it all now. She did, however, wonder what Julia was up to.
Julia was up to something. Her protestation could not soothe Georgiana’s worry. She knew when her friend was scheming, and Julia most certainly had some sort of card up her sleeve.
“We have not been acquainted for many years,” Georgiana reminded her. “In fact, I see no reason why you should even bring him up at all.”
Julia opened her mouth, then seemed to think better of whatever thought she had. “I shall show you to your room. Then we can get some tea and you can catch me up on everything that’s been going on.”
Georgiana’s room was lovely, with a good view of the street. As they took tea, however, Georgiana admitted that there wasn’t much news to share.
She told Julia all about how they took in Maria and how Maria and Edward came to fall in love and had become engaged.
“But aside from that whole story,” she said, “I’m afraid that not much has been going on in my life.”
“You were in London, though! During the season!” Julia protested. “Surely you have some good gossip to share.”
“Julia, my dear, you ought to know by now that nobody talks about that sort of thing with me. I’m quite the wallflower.”
“You are simply a woman of elegance and taste. They know you will not approve of gossip.”
“And yet you still ask me to find out if I have any!”
“Well, perhaps you had overheard something. You strike me as the sort of person who overhears a great deal. You know that people seem to make the mistake of forgetting that you are around and then they shall say anything.”
Georgiana had to smile at that. “I am not certain if I should find that to be an insult or not.”
“You have a remarkable ability to vanish into the wall,” Julia said. “I think that you should take it as a compliment. It means that you can hear things that other people do not.”
“It makes me sound rather like a ghost or something out of those gothic novels,” Georgiana admitted.
“You may think of it
however you like,” Julia replied. “I would prefer it if sometimes people would forget that I was there.”
“No, you do not,” Georgiana replied. “You like to be the center of attention.”
“But it does get rather exhausting. Everyone’s always trying to talk to you and you have to be constantly pleasant to everybody. And you have to please everybody at once. It’s rather more trouble than it’s worth at times.”
“But you get bored out of your mind if you do not have some party or other to go to in the evening.”
